Shopping Cart Laws Need to Be Tougher

* Re “Raiders of the Lost Cart,” Sept. 2:

The grocers have a major responsibility for the glut of grocery carts on the streets today. The solution of the California Grocers Assn., to form an organization to provide timely retrieval of carts, has failed. In fact, the problem has been exacerbated by the passage of Assembly Bill 317, which prohibits cities from retrieving wayward carts without first giving grocers three days’ notice.

This unreasonable bill was lobbied by the Grocers Assn. and passed even though it was vehemently opposed by the League of California Cities. Citizens who don’t steal carts do not want carts in their neighborhoods at all.

Another state law prohibits removal of a cart from an owner’s premises except by written approval of the owner. However, this is not enforced by law enforcement largely because they cannot get the grocers to sign on as the complainant. The grocers apparently do not want to offend their customers or are unwilling to spend time in court.

However, Anaheim recently has submitted a resolution requesting the League of California Cities to sponsor legislation to repeal provisions of AB 317. Other cities joining this effort so far are Tustin, Orange, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana and Fullerton.

Passage of this resolution would return more authority for control of cart retrieval to the cities. Also, some responsible grocers have responded in recent months to post fliers of warning and install wheel-locking devices.

It seems evident that the very best retrieval program isn’t working and that retrieval programs do not address the core issue, which is theft of carts from the owner’s premises. If the grocers can’t stop the theft at the source by virtue of wheel-locking devices, installing posts to prevent removal of carts from the premises, or by some other fail-safe innovation, the state anti-theft law should be enforced with or without the support of the grocers.

BOB BALL

Anaheim